Originally Posted by
NotDuncan
Agreed, and you're the exact reason breweries think it's so important to have their taps in bars/restaurants, people are likely to try one, then continue buying it in the grocery or liquor store.
I don't drink much beer at home, and I get all the free samples I can handle at work, but I know our local upscale grocery store, Central Market, let's you do mixed sixes of almost everything in the store except some really expensive Belgian trippels and quads.
N.B., I think Colorado is still far and away the best local craft beer scene, even if a lot of them have gone nationwide, like New Belgium. My first few years in the bar biz, that's what we served as there were little to no craft breweries in Texas. In the last 15 or so years, D/FW area alone has gone from one (Rahr & Sons) to 44 at my last count!
PA is odd in that we just recently allowed convenience store and grocery store sales. Those have some special requirements, so mixed sixes are only found at some grocery stores. I can't go to a convenience store and do a mixed six. I can't go to a beer distributor or a lot of six-pack shops and get a mixed six. So, I'll try new beers on tap or in bottles at bars, and will settle for ones I know are decent for home.